Pittsburgh @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 4, 2018 ) Minnesota 7, Pittsburgh 3

The Pittsburgh Pirates need to get back to winning series if they hope to enter the wild card race in the National League as serious contenders. The Pirates will try to get started on taking a quick series when they visit the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday in the opener of a two-game interleague set.

Pittsburgh enters the week five games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the second wild card and eight games behind the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central after dropping a 4-3 decision at San Francisco on Sunday to settle for a split of the four-game set. The Pirates will get a much better picture of where they stand over the next few weeks, with series against the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves (twice) coming up after they finish with the Twins. Minnesota dropped four of its last five games and is resigned to playing the role of spoiler the rest of the way after the front office sent away key pieces like Brian Dozier, Lance Lynn and Eduardo Escobar before the trade deadline. One of the veteran pieces that stayed with the Twins after July 31 was right-hander Jake Odorizzi, who will take the mound on Tuesday opposite Pittsburgh righty Jameson Taillon.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, FS North (Minnesota)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Jameson Taillon (9-8, 3.63 ERA) vs. Twins RH Jake Odorizzi (4-7, 4.50)

Taillon is coming off his second complete game of the season after scattering two runs and 10 hits across nine innings in a 10-2 win at Colorado last Tuesday. The 26-year-old surrendered three or fewer earned runs in each of his last 13 outings, dropping his ERA from 4.56 to 3.63 in that span. Taillon started against Minnesota at home on April 2 and earned a win while yielding two runs and four hits over 5 1/3 frames.

Odorizzi is winless in his last five turns and completed six innings just once in that span. The 28-year-old lasted 4 2/3 frames at Cleveland on Wednesday and was charged with two runs - one earned - on four hits and a pair of walks without factoring in the decision. Odorizzi started at Pittsburgh on April 4 and allowed three runs on five hits and three walks across 4 1/3 innings without a decision.

WALK-OFFS

1. Pirates C Francisco Cervelli (head) did not start Sunday and is day-to-day.

2. Minnesota LHP Adalberto Mejia (nerve traction injury) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Tuesday.

3. Pittsburgh OF Gregory Polanco is 5-for-38 in 11 games this month.

PREDICTION: Pirates 8, Twins 3